


Light up the sky

by shadow_of_kyoshi



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Rise of Kyoshi
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bending (Avatar), Canon Lesbian Relationship, Daofei au, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Firebending & Firebenders, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:21:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25730488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadow_of_kyoshi/pseuds/shadow_of_kyoshi
Summary: Rangi was sent on a mission to find and arrest a daofei gang, the Flying Opera Company. Usually it would've been a simple task, but things got a lot more complicated when one of the earthbenders started firebending too
Relationships: Kyoshi/Rangi (Avatar)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 93





	1. The mission

**Author's Note:**

> I started wondering what would've happened if Jesa and Hark hadn't left Kyoshi on Yokoya, and so this fic was created!
> 
> I'm not sure about the title of this fic, I may change it if I get a better idea. It'll probably take me some time to update this, but it'll always be updated eventually!

Rangi was in a hurry. She couldn't afford to be late for a meeting with her own mother. The servants of the Avatar's estate had gotten used to Rangi running around all day, so they weren't startled when she passed them in the hallways on her way to the yard. It had always been important for the firebender to be on time for everything and she wasn't going to make an exception, ever.

As she arrived at the expansive yard, she spotted Hei-Ran immediately. The woman was sitting on a bench under a tree. Rangi slowed down to a walk to catch her breath. The closer she got to her mother, the more worried she got though. The usually stoic older woman looked concerned and even more serious than usually. This wasn't going to be a normal meeting.

"Good, you're here. This is an urgent matter," Hei-Ran started. "There is a gang of daofei who are gaining influence near Yokoya. They're known as The Flying Opera Company and they're the only gang of benders we know of."

"What should I do?" Rangi asked. Was she meant to guard Yun more closely? Maybe she'd be put in charge of the security in the whole estate!

"You're assigned to go find them, survey them and hopefully arrest them with the help of local law enforcement. We're not sure where they are yet, but we know where you can start," Hei-Ran explained. As she continued speaking, Rangi's thoughts raced in her head. She was supposed to be at the manor, guarding Yun! Besides, she wasn't trained in spying. Why would her mother send her there, of all the people?

As if reading her mind, Hei-Ran started telling Rangi why she was assigned. "You're the most highly qualified person in the area for missions like this. I should know, I trained you myself," the older woman looked proud for a second, before solidifying her expression into seriousness once again. "Don't worry about Yun, Jianzhu and I can handle protecting him for a while. You will be leaving tomorrow."

Hei-Ran nodded to Rangi with a small smile on her face before walking away, leaving the firebender alone. She would have to go say good bye to Yun soon, since it was already afternoon. The girl dreaded the moment she had to leave. She hadn't been separated from Yun for longer than a few days since they first met, and leaving the Avatar without an official bodyguard felt wrong to her. She decided to study the plans her mother had left for her and then go talk to Yun.

\-------------------

Rangi knocked on the door of the Avatar's private room. She knew Yun was there at this time, sorting through his gifts with a maid he chose for the day. Today's maid opened the door, and once she realised who was behind it, excused herself so they could talk privately. Rangi walked in and closed the door behind her.

"Hello Rangi, what's with the long face?" Yun asked. He was sitting on the floor, now having turned his attention towards the firebender.

"Hi. Has anyone told you about my newest assignment yet?" Rangi sighed. It was better to just get the conversation over with.

"Yes, your mother mentioned it earlier. Don't worry about me, I'm more than capable of staying safe for a while, at least with the help of Jianzhu!" Yun chuckled and motioned for Rangi to sit down next to him. She walked over and did as the Avatar told her.

"Did she mention that I'll leave tomorrow morning? I came here to say farewell to you," the firebender admitted. She wanted to get out of the conversation as fast as possible, for many reasons. She'd have to start preparing for the mission as soon as possible.

"I thought so. Listen, I know you're worried for the Avatar's safety, but remember that this mission will help with that in the long run. Just get it done quickly, otherwise everyone will miss you too much!" Yun put his hand on Rangi's shoulder for a moment before giving her a smile and standing up. The firebender returned the smile and stood up, walking to the door.

"Thank you, I'll be back as soon as I can. You can't be trusted to take care of yourself for too long," she teased the Avatar before walking out into the hallway and heading towards her room to get ready. Tomorrow would be a big day.

\--------------

Travelling to Chameleon Bay by foot would have taken Rangi a long time. Thankfully, she was given an ostrich horse which made the trip more tolerable. The firebender was halfway to her destination when the sun started setting, so she made a campfire and stayed close to it for the night. 

While rummaging through her bag, Rangi realised she would have to go straight to town to buy supplies. Maybe she would buy some new clothes too. Her disguise as an ordinary Fire Nation traveler was comfortable, but she missed the safety of her high quality armor.

Rangi settled down on the ground once she had eaten some snacks from her bag. Looking up into the night sky, she found herself wondering what kind of people the members of the Flying Opera Company would be if they were a threat to the Avatar's safety. The firebender didn't have much experience with daofei, but she'd heard enough stories from nobles who were robbed by them. She imagined they would be vile and cruel people, after all, they were a feared gang. 

The thought of having to watch such awful people made Rangi shiver. All she wanted was for the Avatar and the ordinary folk to be safe and happy. It was why she was a soldier in the first place. The firebender studied her instructions again. They included descriptions of the outlaws that Rangi would have to study more to recognize them. Eventually she fell asleep, comforted by the thought of bringing the daofei to justice.

\---------------

Chameleon Bay was a peaceful place. It was a nice change for Rangi, who was used to working at a hectic speed. She had a mission to focus on though, so that would have to be put aside. The firebender walked around looking for food and supplies, but she didn't know what she should buy. Eventually she made a decision. She'd survey the area first while thinking of what to buy. Hopefully she would find something.

While wandering around, Rangi noticed something peculiar. There were a few people also doing shopping, but one of them stuck out of the crowd. A girl, about the same age as her, but her looks weren't what caught the firebender's attention. It was her height. Rangi was taller than average, but she was only up to the other girl's shoulders. The girl had long, brown hair and she wore a multi-layered kimono with different shades of green. The top layer was detailed with a dark green trim. Rangi realised she'd been staring at the pretty stranger, and hastily turned her head to look away.

Once Rangi was done buying supplies, she walked to a forest and decided to camp at a peaceful clearing. Once she had set down her supplies, her thoughts drifted to the tall girl at Chameleon Bay. There was something familiar about her, but Rangi couldn't quite place it. Then she realised what it could be. The firebender took out her instructions and looked at the section describing the daofei. There she found what she was looking for. The description for a girl named Kyoshi matched with the tall girl perfectly. Rangi had found the Flying Opera Company faster than she could've anticipated.


	2. Wasted honour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, an update! From the looks of it, I'll probably publish one chapter every month. This fic will be finished eventually!

Rangi woke up just before sunrise. She had a plan for today so she would have to get to Chameleon Bay as soon as possible. The firebender ate breakfast quickly and started walking to the Bay. She'd made sure that she could recognize all members of the Flying Opera Company before going to sleep, otherwise her plan wouldn't work. It was a simple plan, following the tall daofei, Kyoshi, and trying to see where she met the rest of her companions.

Once Rangi arrived to the marketplace in Chameleon Bay, she set out to find Kyoshi, but made sure to keep an eye out for the rest of the gang as well. She pretended to look at what to buy, blending into the crowd easily. The firebender tried to look around, but she couldn't see the tall girl yet. It wasn't surprising though, it was still early in the morning so not everyone would be up yet.

As hours passed by with no sign of Kyoshi, Rangi started getting concerned. She had hoped the Flying Opera Company would stay at Chameleon Bay longer, but apparently that wasn't the case. Still, she stayed where she was, hoping to see one of the daofei. Kirima, Wong, Lek and Lao Ge wouldn't be too hard to spot, at least Rangi hoped so. The firebender sighed deeply. It was still technically morning, she shouldn't worry so much. Unfortunately for Rangi, her legs were already aching from the hours of standing up and walking around. She had to go sit down and eat somewhere.

Rangi walked to an opening next to a teahouse and sat there. She took out a fruit she'd brought with her and bit into it. The firebender hadn't even noticed how hungry she was. The fruit was good and Rangi was soon ready to be on her way back to where the stalls were. Just then, she saw someone walking out of the teahouse. It was a young boy, who Rangi didn't pay attention to. Then she noticed Kyoshi next to him. The pretty girl looked annoyed at what the young kid next to her was explaining. Rangi looked at the boy again, and realised he was Lek, another member of the Flying Opera Company. The firebender was surprised by Lek's appearance. He was just a teen, even younger than Rangi herself. It didn't matter now though, they were still in town. 

Rangi sighed, relieved that she had finally found them. She got up from her seat and started following them as discreetly as possible. The firebender wasn't well trained for this, but her basic knowledge had to be enough for now. Thankfully the two earthbenders were invested in their discussion. Rangi carefully sneaked closer to them, hoping to hear what they were talking about.

"Which part of 'I don't need anymore special practice with you' do you not understand? My precision is fine as long as I've got these," Kyoshi said, pointing at something that Rangi couldn't see. Lek reached out and took the objects from Kyoshi, who let out an annoyed yelp. They were battle fans, very high quality ones too from what Rangi could see.

"And that's the problem! These are your weaknesses. If they break or someone knocks them out of your hands, you're as good at earthbending as a platypus bear," the boy put the fans somewhere inside his clothes where the tall girl couldn't grab them. Kyoshi groaned.

"Fine, if it makes me a better bender. Let's go do your special bending practice, though I doubt it'll help me out," Kyoshi agreed, still looking bitter. She glared at Lek, but the gesture seemed halfhearted. It's quite adorable, Rangi found herself thinking. She immediately pushed away the thought. Now was not the time or the place for things like that.

When Rangi refocused on the street ahead of her, she realized the two earthbenders had disappeared somewhere. Cursing under her breath, the firebender picked up speed, hoping to find them somewhere. It wasn't like her to push her luck like she just did. She needed to be more careful from now on. What would mother think if she failed at her mission?

The spirits were on Rangi's side on that day, because she soon spotted the now familiar looking tall girl. She was near a food stall, looking at what to buy… no, steal with Lek. There was no way the rotten daofei would really pay for anything they wanted. Rangi made her way closer to them. It was easier in the crowd, she could go with the flow of the mass.

To Rangi's surprise, when Kyoshi and Lek finally chose what they wanted, they actually paid for it. Using stolen currency, the firebender reminded herself. Easy to spend money if you constantly gained it illegally. The earthbender duo started making their way to the outskirts of town. It made sense, there were no people there to disturb their practice. Rangi noticed they were approaching a part of the town she'd wanted to avoid. The slums. Her heart ached for the poor people living there, but there was nothing she could do for them. She wasn't there yet, though, so she tried her best to ignore the terrible thoughts.

"It's about time to get some food, I haven't eaten since yesterday," Rangi heard Lek say. The boy was contentedly eating small pastries while trying to hold them out of Kyoshi's reach.

"So you did skip breakfast today? Careful, I might tell Kirima, she'll scold you for not being in good shape," the tall girl teased the shorter boy, poking his shoulder to accentuate her statement. She was eating a different kind of pastry, though she still had more of them. Rangi wondered why they would buy that much food, maybe it's for practice? 

"Don't think I didn't notice that you skipped too. You'll be in even more trouble since you're our muscle and you can't really do your job without, well, muscle," Lek shot back. They bickered like siblings, but Rangi knew they weren't related in any way. Everything about these two confused her more and more with every moment she spent watching them.

Seeing the two earthbenders act like family reminded Rangi of her own mother. She found herself missing Hei-Ran, even though it hasn't been long since she left Yokoya. She would have to send a letter to her soon to tell her the Flying Opera Company had been found. Rangi wished that her mother would send a letter back, even if it wasn't necessary to do so.

\----------------

The earthbenders and Rangi arrived to the slums too fast for her liking. The state of the buildings was awful. People shouldn't live like that, but they had to. The firebender hoped the Earth Kingdom would make progress to help people like this, just like the Fire Nation had long ago. Kyoshi and Lek seemed used to the state of their surroundings, and Rangi couldn't help but wonder if they grew up like this.

Rangi watched as many of the children sitting outside suddenly got up after noticing the daofei duo. They still had a good amount of their food left, so the firebender assumed the kids wanted something to eat from them. To Rangi's surprise, Kyoshi and Lek freely gave the children all of their spare pastries. They even made small talk with everyone before continuing their walk to the outskirts of town. 

Some young kids spotted Rangi and walked up to her, asking if she could also give them something. She didn't have anything to give them though, and they realised that quickly. The firebenders face turned red with shame when the children dejectedly made their way back to where they had been sitting. When one of them glared at Rangi, she realized something. Her clothes were obviously new, so in their eyes she was a well off stranger who was too heartless to give them anything.

Rangi tried to shake the thought out of her head as she continued following the earthbenders. She made a mental note to come back eventually to help the kids. Her honor had taken a harsh blow, but she had a mission to focus on.

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thank you to all of my friends who have helped me out with this! This is my first long fanfic so I appreciate all of the support


End file.
